


A Hulk by Any Other Name

by Trammel



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Genre: Bruce Banner Has A Heart, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hulk has a heart, M/M, No Angst, Romance, Romeo and Juliet References, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-28 00:10:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17172128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trammel/pseuds/Trammel
Summary: "Uh…Romeo, Romeo? Wherefore are you Romeo?...Deny your name and I'll…I'll be a rose or something?" Bruce chuckled at himself. Tony had to know that English hadn't been his favorite subject.A flash of red and gold and Iron Man was descending from the sky to hover right in front of the balcony, the faceplate up and Tony smiling gleefully at him.





	A Hulk by Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gavilan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gavilan/gifts).



> My Science Bros Secret Santa story for Gavilan! Sorry I'm late! I went full romance-fluff here.

Bruce was walking on one of the ancient bridges surrounding the town of Verona, looking out at the river. There were people around, but it wasn't insanely crowded, being November, and he felt ok. Jarvis had the Quinjet hovering at a safe distance, and all he needed to do if he felt unsafe (or that he could make bystanders unsafe) was grab the Starkphone in his pocket. Jarvis would swoop in and save him.

And so would Tony.

Tony had finally broken through all of Bruce's excuses and convinced him to come along on one of his business trips. Bruce had spent some time in the south of Italy when he was on the run, but it was very different to come to Verona, spend the day walking around and taking in the monuments, having tea in a quiet café while Tony was in meetings.

He even tried out his rusty Italian a bit. All in all, it had been a wonderful morning. Tony always managed to turn things around, surprise him, make things good. He was at a very different place that the last time he was in this country.

His phone vibrating in his pocket cut through his musing.  Bruce checked it.

_Meetings done. See you at Juliet's balcony in 15. T_

That was kind of strange. He hadn't expected Tony to want to see that. An almost randomly chosen house with a balcony billed as Juliet's, which tourists from all over the world flocked to. But maybe he should have expected it. Tony seemed to love cheesy tourist things - all the things that he was never allowed to do/see when he was a rich kid that was supposed to do nothing but invent things to make money.

Tony had already taken him to Disneyland twice, after all. They'd organized days where Tony's charities paid for kids to go to the theme park and meet the Avengers. Bruce had discovered that the Hulk loved kids, and (taking a great deal of precautions) decided to go along.

And now Bruce was walking slowly along the busy pedestrian street lined with stores and full of tourists. And he wasn't scared, because he knew Tony was waiting for him, and he could contact Jarvis with a push of a button.

He was enjoying people watching too. He didn't usually get too cold, but the Italians were all wrapped up like it was a blizzard, while the tourists were in get ups ranging from short- sleeves to heavy winter coats.

He reached the spot - an archway between two stores, which was currently blocked off by several metal barricades with Italian _carabinieri_ police guarding the entrance and keeping people from entering. That was unusual, and Bruce wondered if it was Tony's doing.

 _Carabinieri_ were an arm of the military, and that showed in their uniforms. The Other Guy growled in the back of his head at the sight. But Bruce focused as hard as he could on an image of Tony in his head, projecting to the Other Guy.

_They're not for you. We're going to see Tin Man. Tony._

The image and the name calmed the Other Guy a bit, and Bruce only flinched slightly when one of the officers called out to him.

"You. You are Doctor Banner?" The officer was looking back and forth from Bruce to his phone.

"Yes. _Si. Sono io._ " Bruce dredged up more Italian from the recesses of his brain. He forced himself to step forward. He felt the annoyed stares of the other tourists around him.

"You you in. He waits." The officer moved the barrier enough for Bruce to pass and gestured that he go in.

"Grazie." He Thanked the officer, who handed him a note - a handwritten note - from Tony.

Ok, now _that_ was weird.

_Go on inside, in the door on the right and up the stairs. Meet you on the balcony in 10._

Bruce hoped Tony hadn't bought the whole place or something equally crazy. He slowly walked through the archway, trying to ignore the feel of people's eyes on him.

The brick walls on each side of him were covered with removable cardboard panels, because (he'd read) lovers (and those unlucky in love) from all over the globe had written so much on the walls of the archway that the town council had to put these in for people to write their hopes and wishes on. Others wrote actual letters to Juliet, leaving them at this place, hoping for help from an imaginary girl.

Bruce didn't think this place would hold any fascination for him, but as he walked on and read some of the messages, he realized that he could appreciate it, specifically for these messages. The demonstration that everyone, all over the world, was searching for love, and came here for help finding it or to show their gratitude at having found it.

He had spent most of his life wishing for love. And years thinking he would never find it again. Never be worthy of it. But it had happened. Starting with a handshake and a compliment on his work. Not the Other Guy's.

Bright whiskey eyes that met his and didn't flinch away.

A smile that he now loved waking up to.

And now… now he had the irrational desire to scratch a pair of initials on one of the panels too - B.B. + T.S.

Instead he kept his hands in his pockets and walked on, reaching the middle of the courtyard. He saw the balcony and found the door on the right to go into the building. He found himself in a small museum filled to the brim with Renaissance-era costumes and knick-knacks. He navigated through the room to the staircase, and walked up to a bedroom that hosted a bed from one of the Romeo and Juliet movies.

He had a vague memory of being forced to watch it in middle school, and pretending to mock it like the rest of the class, while deep down he'd been enchanted with the idea of true love…

Bruce stepped out onto the balcony, looking over the small courtyard. There was a gift shop directly in front of him, of course, and to the left, the corridor opening onto the main street, still filled with annoyed tourists.

He didn't know if he was actually allowed to walk on this balcony, even if it was fake. He wondered who Tony had paid to get Bruce this private moment at the busiest site in the city. For once he didn't feel guilty about that. He just felt happy.

But he didn't want to enjoy this moment alone. This was a romantic site, a couply place. Where was his other half?

"Tony?" he called out. No answer. Feeling kind of stupid, Bruce searched his brain for the crumbs of knowledge from high school English class. The few times he'd actually gone to class. He figured he might as well, since he was on Juliet's balcony (or at least the balcony someone had designated  as Juliet's).

"Uh…Romeo, Romeo? Wherefore are you Romeo?...Deny your name and I'll…I'll be a rose or something?" Bruce chuckled at himself. Tony had to know that English hadn't been his favorite subject.

A flash of red and gold and Iron Man was descending from the sky to hover right in front of the balcony, the faceplate up and Tony smiling gleefully at him.

"What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Bruce would, were he not Bruce called," Tony recited warmly.

"Ok, Jarvis has to be feeding you the lines, because I know you weren't paying attention in English class when you were a kid," Bruce joked through the huge smile that had plastered itself to his face. He thought he might even be blushing.

"Of course he is," Tony smiled. "And, well, there's a plaque out here with the rose thing on it." Tony gestured to Bruce's right, to the side of the balcony. There was a large plaque with the quote on it.

"What did you do to get us this private time? It's, I mean I love it, but-"

"Donated a couple mil to the town, for infrastructure and cultural initiatives. All these tourists are wreaking havoc on the rivers and buildings here. Dumping locks into the water and writing their initials all over the place."

"What about-?" Bruce looked pointedly at Tony's boots, as Iron Man continued to hover in front of the balcony.

"Oh, I modified the suit, so it won't be damaging to the antique stone." Tony gestured around the courtyard.

"You thought of everything," Bruce smiled.

"I did." Tony raised his gauntleted hand and held out a rose to Bruce. Bruce could feel a his smile growing, and wondered if his eyes were shining like Tony's.

He had a ridiculous thought. _A Hulk by any other name…_ would still be…

Tony's shining eyes provided the answer.

A Hulk by any other name would still be Tony's. Just like Bruce was Tony's. He reached out and carefully took the rose.

"So Juliet, do I get a kiss?," Bruce's 'knight in shining titanium' asked.

Bruce leaned forward, with his hands propping him against the balcony. Tony flew a few inches closer and their lips met.

Bruce let himself get lost in the moment, in the feel of Tony's warm lips against his, the scratch of Tony's beard, even the strange, but now common feeling of a gauntlet gently holding the back of his head.

He was startled out of it by a sharp wolf-whistle.

Tony pulled back and they both looked across the courtyard, to see a young woman standing in the doorway of the gift shop, smiling at them. Bruce felt his face flush. Tony managed to bow to her in mid-air, then turned back to Bruce.

"Sorry, I told her to wait there in case I needed more roses."

"And you want to buy some cheesy, touristy crap too," Bruce smile.

"Well, yeah. Oh, and I saw a giant teddy bear in there. You think the Other Guy'd like it?"

Bruce stared at Tony a moment.

Iron Man was floating in front of Juliet's balcony asking _him_ if his angry alter ego wanted a teddy bear, his eyes sparkling and full of love for Bruce.

Then Bruce just laughed and shook his head.

How was this his life? How was this crazy, amazing, wonderful life his?

He looked down at the statue of Juliet in the middle of the courtyard. Maybe this wasn't all fiction. She had certainly answered his prayers.

**Author's Note:**

> I was in Verona last month, and this is what was going through my head the whole time! :D


End file.
